Target and automatic indicating apparatus.



.No. 643,l73. Patented Feb. I3, I900. J. H. VAN VIERSEN, M. P. T. D.MOLIERE &. C. E. TER MEULEN. TARGET AND AUTOMATIC INDICATING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 20, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheat l.

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THE NORRIS PETERS co, wHovcu'mo WASHINGTON, 'n. o.

No. 643,173 Patented Feb. I3, leno.

m. P. T. n. mouEnE & c. nan msuuzu. TARGET AND AUTOMATIC INDIGATINGAPPARATUS.

J. H. VAN VIERSEN (Application filed Jan. 20. 1899.)

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No. 643,173. Patented Feb. l3, mom. J. H. VAN VIERSEN, m. P. T. n.mnufinz & c. E. TER MEULEN.

TARGET AND AUTOMATIC INDIGATING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 20, 1899.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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NlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB I-IENDRIK VAN VIERSEN, MATHIEU PIERRE THEODORE DAMALVY MOLIFRE,AND OAREL ELIZA TER MEULEN, OF AMSTERDAM, NETH- ERLANDS.

TAR GET AND AUTOMATIC INDICATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 643,173, datedFebruary 13, 1900. Application filed January 20, 1899. Serial No.702,843. (No model.)

'VIERSEN, mechanician, MATHIEU PIERRE THEODORE DAMALVY MOLIERE,merchant, and CAREL ELIZA TER MEULEN, merchant,

subjects of the Queen of the Netherlands, re-

siding at Amsterdam, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, have inventedcertain .new and useful Improvements in 'largets and AutomaticIndicating Apparatus Connected Therewith, of which the following is aspecificalion, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the target with the front plateor wall of the lateral box removed; Fig. 2, aplan with the cover-plateof this box likewise removed. Fig. 3 is a plan; Fig. 4, a transversesection of the indicating apparatus. Fig. 45' is a plan of a branch-pipeconnection on a shooting-place, Fig. 4: a transverse section of thisconnection, and Fig. 4 an elevation of the indicating apparatus, saidFigs. 4, 4 and 4 being drawn on a larger scale.

This invention relates to an arrangement for automatically indicatingthe hits on targets.

The said invention is designed not only to make any attendanceunnecessary at the tar: get, but also to obviate the risk of damage bythe shots incident to the known targets provided with arrangements forautomatically indicating and generally made of metal.

A further advantage consists in the extremely accurate never-failingmarking of the shots, which can be read off exactly on an indicatingapparatus at the firing-place itself. Moreover, by simplifying theapparatus at the target more rapid firing can take place, and so on.

The said invention comprises an arrangement at the target and anindicating apparatus at the firing-point which are electricallyconnected. It is characterized, essentially, by the arrangement of amoving continuous band or strip of paper or other soft easilyperforatedmaterial behind the target-disk, which is-made of pasteboard, the saidband or strip being perforated by the shot at the same time as thetarget. After each shot the band or strip is drawn along from behind thetarget by means of a rotary sector and then clamped fast, after whichthe sector moves back alone to its original position and by so doingcomes behind the part of the strip which was previously behind thetarget. On the surface of the sector are arranged metal rings whichcorrespond exactly to the target-rings or to the various sectionsthereof and are in connection by wires with an elec tric battery. Thesewires are led to the indicatin g apparatus at the firing-place. Th usafter having been drawn along each part of the paper band or stripoccupies exactly the same position relatively to the ring-pieces of thesector as it occupied relatively to those of the target when behind thelatter. As soon as the sector is returned to its original position ametal brush, which is connected with the other Wire of the electricbattery, is moved along the surface of the sector. The paper band orstrip is non-conducting. As soon as the brush touches the ring or a partthereof through the hole in the band contact is made, and it is shownexactly at the indicating apparatus at the firing-point whichring-section of the target has been hit. The operation of the apparatusthen begins afresh,

since the rotation of the sector is effected from thefiring-point.

The paper band is wound upon a roller at one side of the target to thesame extent that it unrolls on the other side. The holes can beafterward pasted over and the roll of pa per thus used again.

The indicating apparatus can be introduced into the circuit at variousdistances from the the shots. They are arranged obliquely to the planeof the target. In the box B, at the left-hand side, a paper-roller P isrotatably mounted on a vertical shaft, and in the box a roller P in asimilar manner, so that a band or strip p of paper, which unrolls fromthe roller P to the same extent, is rewound onto the roller P, and theroller P can be forcibly set in rotation in any suitable manner. Bythese means the band or strip is kept continually stretched. A slidingbrake deviceb b is provided on the shaft of the roller P. Guiderollers LL serve for guiding the paper band correctly. In the box O the sector Sis pivotally mounted on a vertical shaft 5. The breadth of the saidsector measured on its so rface is exactly that of the target. A numberof metallic electrically-conducting ring-sections I, II, III, IV, and VIof exactly the size of the rings of the target are mounted on thesurface of the sector, Fig. 1. The rings are cut through along thehorizontal and vertical center lines, so that each ring, as well as thecentral circular surface, is divided into four parts corresponding tothose of the target according to which the marking of the shotsgenerally takes place. Each of the twenty ring sections or pieces thusformed is electrically insulated from the adjacent ones as well as fromthe sector itself. A Wire a, which is located in the circuit of anelectric battery B, Fig. 2, leads from each ring-section to a bar 0,secured at the side of the sector close to the shaft 5, which bar isprovided with twenty angle irons or pieces 0, bearing cont-actsprings 0A second bard is secured to the side wall of the box and likewisereceives twenty angle irons or pieces (1, which again are connected tothe conducting-Wires from the firing-point, and when the sector is inthe position shown in Fig. 2 these angle-pieces make contact through thesprings c with the ring-sections on the surface of the sector. On theshafts a frame R is mounted so as to turn loosely thereon, which framecan move around the sector. On the vertical rod thereof is secured ametallic brush D over the entire height of the sector. The brush or theframe is connected with the other wire of the battery.

The paper bandp from the roller P is first led over the guide-roller Land then along close behind the target over the sector S, being alsoguided in the slots in the side walls of the boxes B and C. After thisit is conducted between two clamping-bars E E, then over theguide-roller L, and, finally, it is wound upon the paper-roller P. Aftereach shot the sector S moves inward from the position shown in Fig. 2into the position shown in dotted lines further into the box O and takesthe band p with it, since the said band is held At the in the side wallto the corner of the drawn-in sector. The distance between the points atthe ends of this straight line is made equal to the breadth of thesector measured on the surface or equal to the travel of the sector, sothat should the sector be moved back into the original position, Fig. 2,the band being meanwhile held between the clamping-bars E E and theclamping device F released, the rings I V on its surface will come tolie exactly in the same position behind the paper band as the identicalrings on the target which were previously in front of the particularpart of the paper band. If the frame R, with the metallic brush D, isthen moved along the sector, as soon as the .brush passes the perforatedhole contact is made with the particular ring-section on which the holelies, and the result of the shot is thus transmitted by means of thewire a and contact-pieces c c d', and soon, to the indicating apparatusat thelfiringpoint and is read off thereon.

We will now more fully explain the motion mechanism and other parts inthe box O and then describe the arrangement of the indicating apparatusat the firing-point.

The motion of the sector is preferably effected by means of clockwork,which is actuated by a weight orspring on the shaft w, Fig.

1. It comprises bevel-wheels 7c 70 and spurwheels r r, of which 0" setsa vertical shaft 2; in rotation. On this shaft are mounted a cam 75, acircular disk 25, and a crank K, Figs. 1 and 2. The crank connected tothe sector by means of the connecting-rod Z. On the periphery of thedisk is a projection 92. This projection strikes in the position of restagainst a detent or armature m of an electromagnet M, which then arreststhe rotation of the clockwork. The electromagnet M is located in thecircuit of an electric battery G Fig. 2, the conducting-wires leading tothe firing-points. If now the armature m be attracted by completing acircuit at the firingpoint, the projection 01 will be released and theclockwork will set the sector in motion. The cam '6 serves for clampingtogether the clamping-bars E E for holding fast the paper band from themoment that the sector moves back again, and consequently at the momentthat the crank K moves past the other deadpoint. For this purpose theconnecting-rod Z is connected to the one-armed lever H, the free end ofwhich acts by means of a roller on the periphery of the cam t. Thisconnectingrod, by means of a double lever h on the vertical shaft h,presses the bar E at the top and bottom firmly against the fixed bar Eover the whole height of the paper band. The bar E is again released assoon as (after a fresh shot) the sector moves inward from its originalposition, Fig. 2, and allows the paper band, which is then wound up tothe same extent by the roller P, to pass through. The paperroller P isalsomoved by clockwork actuated by a spring or weight on the shaft 10through bevel-wheels e e and spur-wheels f f. The armature m onlyreleases the fly of this clockwork during the inward mot-ion of thesector, during which time the paper band is consequently carried alongby the sector and must be wound up by the roller P. This fly and theother parts belonging thereto may be assumed to be known, and aretherefore not shown in the drawings. The clamping device F is arrangedin the right-hand upper and lower corner of the sectors. It is to holdthe paper band fast duriu g the inward motion of the sector and beotherwise out of action. To the lower and upper clamping-jaws F areattached the connecting-rods Z the other ends of which are each securedto a twoarmed lever 11, turning on the sector. The lever H is pressedtoward the right by means of a spring f and the clamping-jawsF thus heldin their released position. If, however, the free arm of the lever Hstrikes at the end of the return motion of the sector against the stopa, the lever H swings about its fulcrum or pivot and closes theclamping-jaws F. The lever is then held in this position by the detent rand it is not released, and the jaws consequently are not released untilthe detent r in the other extreme position of the sector strikes againstthe stop a so that during this time-that is, during the inward motion ofthe sector-the said sector takes the paper band with it. The frame R forthe metallic brush D is held at the top and bottom by the detent r onthe common shaft 1' in the position shown in Fig. 2, and this detent isreleased by arms a on the sector as soonas the latter is returned to itsoriginal position. Operated by a spring, the frame then moves along thesector and contact is made through the hole in the paper, by means ofthe brush, with the ring-section on the surfaceof the sector, whichsection is identical with the annular section of the target which hasbeen hit. At the end of its travel the frame strikes against the arm aon the sector and is returned during the inward motion of the sector, bymeans of this arm, into its original position, wherein it is againengaged by the detent T The indicating apparatus at the firing-pointconsists of a flat cylindrical box N, which can be secured on a flange Fat the end of the pipe P in which the twenty electric conductors arearranged, Figs. 3, 4, and 4c. In the cover of this box are arrangedtwenty holes Z in the form of a cross, these holes corresponding to thering-sections on the target. Round plates a, bearing the numbers of therings, are arranged within the box N in rows soon as one of thering-sections is hit. This is effected in the following manner, viz: Theplates z are capable of turning about a vertical axis and are held bymeans of the armature i of an electromagnet g, of which one is providedfor each plate in the box N. Each of these electromagnet-s g isconnected with one of the twenty conductors corresponding to itsposition in the box or to that of the plate 2 belonging thereto. Ifcontact be made by the motion of the brush on any one of thering-sections of the sector, the electromagnet g of the correspondingplate 2' attracts the armature i and the plate springs forward andleaves its number visible through the aperture Z. An extension 2 of theplate a lies against a stop .2 on a rod .9, of which there are fourarranged crosswise in the box N. These rods .9 are pivotally connectedat the center of the box to a rotary plate 19, and one of them extendsat its other end outside the box and is there provided with a knob K. Itwill be seen that by pressing in the knob K all four rods 8 will besimultaneouslypushed in, and therefore the forwardly-moved plate in anyrow will be returned to its normal position. After each shot-that is tosay, as soon as the brush passes a hole in the paper band and makescontacta number will become visible in one of the four rows, and bypressing back the knob K" the apparatus is set afresh for indicating theresult of the next shot.

As already mentioned above, the indicating apparatus can be insertedinto the circuit at any usual shooting distance. At each of these pointsbranch wires extend from the conductors in a cylindrical box V on theflange F of the pipe P These branch wires are fastened all around to theinner periphery of the cylindrical box V, the one Wire end being dulyinsulated from the next, Figs. 4 and 4t".

Beneath the box N is arranged a block or piece W, which fits exactly inthe cylindrical box V and has a four-cornered hole Z in the center. Thehole Z fits, in one definite position only, onto a suitable projection nin the cylindrical box V. Around the block or piece .W are arrangedtwenty contact-springs o, to

which are connected the wires of the box N. The twenty springs makecontact only with the ends of the twenty wires arranged at the innerperiphery of the cylindrical box V. In this manner the electromagnet ofone ringplate Z is at each firing-point always connected with the samewire only of the con ductors. A single indicating apparatus is thussuificient for several firing-points of one shooting-place.

What we claim is" 1. An indicator for use in conjunction with a target,comprising a band or strip of material of a character to be perforatedby bullets passing through the target, an intermittentlyrotated rollerat one side on which said strip is wound, another roller at the otherside from which said strip is unwound to the same extent, and means toindicate which section of said'band or strip is perforated by thebullet, substantially as hereinbefore described.

2. The combination, with a target made of easily-perforated material, ofa band or strip of easily-perforated material arranged behind saidtarget, means for supporting and intermittently feeding said band orstrip behind said target, a series of electric circuits, indicatingdevices connected with said circuits, and means for completing one ormore of said circuits through one or more perforations in said band orstrip, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with an easily-perforated target, and a band orstrip of easilyperforated material arranged behind said target, of arotary sector moving behind said band or strip at one side of saidtarget, a clamping device on said sector, ring-sections on the surfaceof the said sector corresponding to the annular parts of the target, anindicating apparatus at the firing-points, wires connecting saidring-sections with cond uctors leading to said indicating apparatus andmeans for completing the circuits, substantially as, and for thepurposes, hereinbefore described.

4. The combination, with a band or strip of easily-perforated material,and a rotary sector having a plurality of ring-sections correspondingwith the sections of the target, of a metallic brush, a frame bearingsaid brush and turning about the axis of the sector, means for causingbrush as soon as the sector has returned to its original position, tomove over its surface and then makes con- .tact, through the perforationin said band or strip, with the ring-section on the surface of thesector which corresponds to that of the target, an indicating apparatusat the firingpoint, and electrical connections whereby said contactthrough the perforation indicates the same at the firing-point,substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the target and the movable band or strip behindthe same, of a sector, a clockwork for oscillating the same,clamping-bars for holding said band or strip during the return movementof said sector, and means for actuating said clampingbars from saidclockwork, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the target and the movable band or strip behindthe same, of a sector, crank-shaft connected with said sector, a disk onsaid shaft, a clockwork for oscillating said sector, and anelectromagnet having an armature engaging saiddisk on the crank-shaft,substantially as, and for the purposes, above specified.

7. The combination, with the target and the movable band or strip behindthe same, of an intermittently-rotated roller on which said band orstrip is wound after being perforated, a clockwork for actuating saidroller, and an electromagnet having an armature which controls themotion of said clockwork, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JACOB HENDRIX VAN VIERSEN. MATHIEU PIERRE THEODORE DAMALVY MOLIERE.CAREL ELIZA TER MEULEN.

Witnesses:

ANTONIE DOYER, AUGUST SIEGFRIED DOCA.

